2019: Plateau Elders Endorse Buhari, Lalong
BY CHAMBERLAIN ODEY, JOS – The Plateau State Elders Advisory Council, an all-APC assembly of pro-Lalong elderly men, has declared support for President Muhammadu Buhari in the 2019 presidential race, and also endorsed Governor Simon Bako Lalong for the 2019 gubernatorial race in Plateau state.
Stating their position at a press conference in Jos, Chairman of the group and a retired captain of the Nigerian Army, Joseph Din, said both the President and the Plateau state governor have performed well in their first tenure, and deserve a second term to continue and complete the good work they have begun.
Predicating their assessment on the four pillars of security, anti-corruption, economy and poverty alleviation, and youth empowerment, Din said he and his group have been watching the President’s efforts dutifully since coming to power in 2015, and are impressed by his achievements so far.
According to the statement by the Elders’ Council, “President Buhari stands out as the first President of Nigeria to openly take the fight against corruption as his agenda”.
The statement contends further that “this country as heading into economic recession already when President Buhari took over in 2015”, pointing out that this “was largely due to the falling prices of crude oil in the international market and the long term mismanagement of the economy by the previous governments”.
Standing firmly by Buhari, The Elders, who also posited that Obasanjo or Babangida has no right to ask Buhari not to contest in 2019, also recalled that “when President Buhari was taking over he did not promise Nigerians that it was going to be rosy all through”, saying, “Nigerians were going to face challenges in the short term”.
Summing these with other positive indices, the Elders said “We, the Elders Advisory Council, call on President Muhammadu Buhari to re-contest as President come 2019” and “we assure him of our unflinching support”.
“We hereby unanimously endorse President Muhammadu Buhari as President of Nigeria come 2019, and Rt. Hon. Barrister Simon Bako Lalong as governor of Plateau state come 2019”, the elders declared.
Some other members of the group are former deputy governor of Plateau state, Ignatius Longjang, Professor Longmas Wapmuk, Architect P D Gyang, Jethro Akun, and Moses Tapgun.
